Dell Alienware M17x Gaming LaptopPioneer PDP-5070HD
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America Part number: PDP-5070HD
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Pioneer's PDP-5070HD 50-inch plasma sets a benchmark for flat-panel performance and is well worth the premium price for people who take video quality seriously.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Not yet rated |
In stock
|
Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price |
as of 07/06/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Pioneer PDP-5070HD
price range: $2,495.00
- Reviewed by: Kevin Miller
- Edited by: David Katzmaier
- Reviewed on: 09/11/2006
- Released on: 07/01/2006
The good: Accurate color decoding; can reproduce deep blacks; solid video processing; comprehensive connectivity, including two HDMI, three component-video; and a PC input; excellent feature package with picture-in-picture, CableCard, and TV Guide onscreen program guide.
The bad: Expensive; inaccurate green color.
The bottom line: Pioneer's PDP-5070HD 50-inch plasma sets a benchmark for flat-panel performance and is well worth the premium price for people who take video quality seriously.
Editors' Note (07-20-2007): This model has been replaced by the Pioneer PDP-5080HD, so we have removed the PDP-5070HD's Editors' Choice award, although the rating will remain the same.
User reviews
-
-
Pioneer plasmas now have great quality at a good price!
by palindromekid on August 7, 2006
Pros: Pioneer reputation, picture quality, aesthetics.
Cons: Don't have an opinion yet.
Summary: I've been waiting for prices to come down on plasmas for a year. Researched and read reviews from more sites than I can count. By this past June, I ...
Summary: I've been waiting for prices to come down on plasmas for a year. Researched and read reviews from more sites than I can count. By this past June, I narrowed the choices to Pioneer and Panasonic (due to CNET ratings). I was leaning toward Pioneer due to reputation, picture quality and aesthetics, but had a tough time justifying the additional $1000 or so.
Reading CNET reviews of last year's PDP-5060HD model, three people recommended Coza Inc., Leo Cortez in particular. Coza Inc. is a Pioneer AUTHORIZED internet dealer, which is critical because Pioneer will not honor warranty if purchased from non-authorized dealers. I called and spoke with Leo, who is one of the BEST people I've ever dealt with in making any large purchase. As other reviewers also noted, he is extremely knowledgeable and laid-back. . . the first time I ever spoke with a plasma salesperson who knew more than I did and gave me very helpful practical advice. He never tried to "sell" me on anything. In fact, because of his advice, I did not get unnecessary pricey accessories (e.g. power conditioners at $300 - $400). He's also answers every question very patiently and in terms a layman can understand.
Moving on beyond being a charter member of the Leo Cortez at Coza Inc. fan club, he told me that the PDP-5070HD model was shipping, and their price is $3,264 plus $165 for shipping. This price is by far the lowest from an AUTHORIZED internet dealer. My issue with Pioneer's higher price tag just disappeared.
I made the order and received it within 3 business days. No problems, no hassles. Set it up, turned it on and was stunned at the picture quality right out of the box without any adjustments. Since I've only had the tv for 2 days now, I haven't had a chance to check out all the features and options, so I'll post later.
I did have to call Pioneer Customer Support (info on their website) for what I thought was a problem. Waited only 8 minutes (which is short in this day and age), and their service rep was very helpful and knowledgeable. He answered my questions in plain english, and as it turned out, my problem wasn't even a problem.
Bottom-line: Get the Pioneer for their reputation (for both the product and customer support), picture quality, and now, price competitiveness!Updated
Still no substantive complaints after having the plasma for a month. Pioneer Support advised me to keep the picture setting on "Standard" (vs. "Dynamic") for the first 3 months or so of viewing. This will further reduce the already minimal chance of image burn-in. The Dynamic setting gives you a more vibrant picture, and so you'll probably want to set it there after 3 months.77 out of 80 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Amazing picture quality
by isu_pilot on September 4, 2006
Pros: Awesome picture quality, sleek looking, many inputs
Cons: Hard to reach inputs when mounted on wall, limited PIP functionality
Summary: Good match for the Omnimount U3TILT wall mount, however once on the wall it is hard to access the inputs. It takes two people to tilt it back enough so ...
Summary: Good match for the Omnimount U3TILT wall mount, however once on the wall it is hard to access the inputs. It takes two people to tilt it back enough so that the inputs can be felt. The picture-in-picutre functionality isn't the best - there is no audio swap, and you can't resize one source in relation to the other.
18 out of 19 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great Pio Colors with Near Panny Blacks
by theueck on September 26, 2006
Pros: 1)Looks great, on or off. 2) Color saturation. 3)Shadow detail. 4) Tweakability, especially the capability to stretch/fill screen in all source modes.
Cons: Tuner may be weak; I can't compare as I must use Comcast, but PQ is actually better on SD when processed thru cable box as opposed to cable direct (bypassing box) to the tuner.
Summary: My second Pio plasma, 1st was the Costco 4303/4314.
Loved the Pio colors but the lack of black level/shadow detail was not great in the 4303.
Just gave ...Summary: My second Pio plasma, 1st was the Costco 4303/4314.
Loved the Pio colors but the lack of black level/shadow detail was not great in the 4303.
Just gave my 50" Panny 50x (last years model) to my daughter. The 5070 is great for my viewing, HD Football/Sports, network and cable HD, some DVD's. Black levels/shadow detail much improved, but it's the color processing that really "wows" me.
Example: On the Panny, the Minn. Vikings colors looked blue; on the Pio they are "PURPLE".
I performed basic calibration on both using Avia/DVE and INHD's tune up.
I do not like viewing in a totally dark room, thus the brightness of the Pio is better for my HD sports etc.
If your prime viewing is movies/dark sceens, while viewing in a dark room, the Panny 9UK might better serve your needs.
Someone wrote that the Panny 9UK is "friendly" to watch, gives you great PQ and does not command your attention to the set itself.
The Pio 5070 is kind of like the "king", which expects and commands your attention to both the set and the picture.
Both are great plasma's at reasonable prices; the Pio just better suits my viewing needs.Updated
Mr. K's "User Settings" really help the PQ.
Not sure if these are pre or post calibration but they are good enough for me and may have saved me $300+ on a grayscale calibration.17 out of 17 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Even better then expected
by virago93 on September 10, 2006
Pros: exceptional clarity, ease of use, realistic but vibrant colors, great black level, surprisingly great speaker
Cons: none at all
Summary: Spent hours researching, made my decision which was to go for the 505CMX monitor (although this model was in the back of my mind) but after speaking w/ Kevin at ...
Summary: Spent hours researching, made my decision which was to go for the 505CMX monitor (although this model was in the back of my mind) but after speaking w/ Kevin at BeyondPlasma.com I decided to purchase this one. Best purchase that I have ever made. Funny thing is that when I look around at the technology I love (and I always do a ton of research) it is always a Pioneer piece. This plasma exceeds all my expectations. Lot's of connectivity, easy to set up, and beyond gorgeous. Piano finish is beautiful. Have the first YSP speaker with my other set up and just bought the YSP 800 to try with this. Not even sure I'll use it as the one that comes with it (detachable) is actually quite decent.
15 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Dead Pixel -- Like a zit -- hard to ignore.
by sanramon on December 22, 2006
Pros: Good picture and looks
Cons: Dead Pixels are OK by Pioneer--up to 10 before a claim will be accepted.
Summary: Out of the box my Pioneer PDP-5070HD had a dead pixel right in the center of the screen. After paying more money for their presumed quality it was dissapointing to ...
Summary: Out of the box my Pioneer PDP-5070HD had a dead pixel right in the center of the screen. After paying more money for their presumed quality it was dissapointing to see a black spot right in the center. Pioneer's reponse: they go by industry standard of 10 dead pixels before moving forward--claim denied. I understand that Samsung, on the other hand, has a zero dead pixel policy--although I can't confirm. All of this, of course, was learned after the fact.
11 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
The research paid off, this TV is the best I've seen
by tsupacat on September 27, 2006
Pros: Great Picture, inputs are abundant, and sound quaility is excellent
Cons: Cost is alittle more than I would like
Summary: This Plasma is the best I have found and I did tons of research and read reviews, (thanks guys). The picture without any calibration is excellent, there is a mass ...
Summary: This Plasma is the best I have found and I did tons of research and read reviews, (thanks guys). The picture without any calibration is excellent, there is a mass of inputs to support any peripheral device you can throw at it. This is my first plasma but I have seen many in stores and others homes, this one is only bested by the Pioneer elite models. Pioneer is known for sound and this one does great, I added a Yamaha theater system to this TV and let me tell you that I have never heard TV sound this good. I can't wait for the PS3 to come out to see the gaming quality and the Blu Ray movies. For all who read this review if you can afford it, this is the Plasma to get, there are other sets that do well but for the amount of picture quality and flexibility of inputs this one is a winner.
9 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
A highly satisfactory end to a long search for the right TV!
by sfblue on November 26, 2006
Pros: Classy looks, fantastic picture, deep blacks
Cons: Perhaps the price if you're not prepared to shop online
Summary: I thought I'd done all the research I needed for an HDTV with the best picture quality I could afford and eventually settled on the Sony KDS50A2000. Disappointed by ...
Summary: I thought I'd done all the research I needed for an HDTV with the best picture quality I could afford and eventually settled on the Sony KDS50A2000. Disappointed by the bulk and screen-door effect of the rear-projection LCD set when compared the older Gateway Plasma it was replacing, I sent it back.
Further research led me to the Pioneer PDP-5070HD and I realised that I would have to bite the financial bullet if I wanted the quality I was after.
A few minutes comparing Samsung, LG, and Sony TVs across the LCD, Plasma and rear-projection LCD spectrum side by side at BestBuy with the PDP-5070HD convinced me that I had made the right selection.
I couldn't be happier with this TV and it was worth the extra grand I stumped up to replace the Sony. The rendering of blacks just blows the old Gateway away, the picture quality and colors are pin sharp compared to the Sony rear-projection LCD, and this black beauty looks just great in the living room! The "Equator" marathon on Discovery HD Theater recently was a joy to behold on this TV.8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Holy Cow!!!!
by Topkilz on November 24, 2006
Pros: Awesome Picture and Performance
Cons: Upconverting SD is a little lackluster through my TiVO (I know)
Summary: I got this set from BB at 2500!!!! I found a price on the internet and actually got them to pricematch!!! I like to think that I am astute at ...
Summary: I got this set from BB at 2500!!!! I found a price on the internet and actually got them to pricematch!!! I like to think that I am astute at A/V but this set took me some time to figure out. TG for my Harmony Remote. I got the BB 4y in home warranty. Didn't know if I would need it but did it anyway. My wife is already in love. I put in some high performing DVD's at PS at 480p and they look spectacular. Try LOTR or Revenge of the Sith for benchmarks for performance. I could see no blocking or artifacting. I get my HD cable this week so I will tell about HD content later. I am not interested in HD DVD or Blu-Ray yet as I think the content and CP needs to be standardized before I jump in those waters. I am using this thing with my Pioneer 1015tx and I have yet to distinguish any lipsync issues.
Updated
Chicago-- Opening sequence with all the fast changing lights made for awesome viewing with the flawless transition on colors and perfect performance. The cell block tango sequence was truly fascinating in all the fishnet glory
The Fast and the Furious-- The first drag race with all the CG transitions fast camera angles. I saw no artifacting or blocking and again-- pristine colors
Point Break-- Since this was an old film that was transferred to DVD, I actually saw the film improprieties in the movie, all the little speckles and spots was actually very amusing since you would never see this in on a regular TV. I put in another old movie just to see if the result was the same.
The Fifth Element-- Nothing more to say there. It was the most exhilirating picture
I will report more when I get my HD service from my cable company this week.
My biggest gripe is the plain gray bars on the 4:3 pulldown. I tried to switch it to where it has the picture in there but my wife does not like that so my regular TV is either stretched (ew) or I have gray blocks on the sides. But I have also seen the same thing on many other tvs with analog so nothing really to do about it I suppose.
I can't wait to see what the TV can really do when I get a High Definition DVD player. Even though this TV is 1080i, I think it will be viable for years to come. No TV station will EVER put out 1080p because of the bandwidth. They would rather transmit in 480p and slice up the space to broadcast extra channels for extra ad revenue, and face it 90% of viewing is broadcast based; not DVDs.
At 2500 this is the perfect TV for now.Updated
OK, so after nine months with this TV, I am still in awe of its performance. I have learned a few things along the way.
First, HDMI; NEVER LOOK AT HD WITHOUT ONE!! We got the HDMI with our HD cable and the finale of Saprano's didn't bother me that much because it was just that pretty to watch. The colors are pristene and the views spectacular. Try watching sports in HD to really test the performance of your set. I have noticed a critical difference in network broadcasts and network cable. OTA always performs better than cable. I could especially tell during the Superbowl. It may also deal with the fact that I have a digital cable DVR and that thing has dubious quality under the hood at best.
Second, If you don't have HDDVD or Blu-Ray, then get an upconverting player; I bought the Pioneer 400 and I didn't think it was possible for SD DVD's to look that good. Now I know what you are going to say "but you can't get better resolution than you recorded the media in", and you are correct, but the delivery transport can really help the quality of that picture. By having the DVD player upconvert the signal to the native resolution of the TV, it takes the processing of the picture from the TV, thus allowing it to merly display the picture delivered. The short of the story is, the least amount of processing the TV does, the better the picture quality. When I watched SW III Revenge of the Sith, and compared it between HDHBO and my DVD player, the DVD player looked better on closeup (because the DVD player has better color). The only difference was the minor background detail is where the HDHBO won out. I can just imagine the Blu-Ray with 1080P! MMM MMMM.
Third, I have seen two different Sammies with HD, a Panny, and a Sony DLP mo7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Absolutely superb!
by FMT2006 on October 3, 2006
Pros: Very accurate colors; Solid design; Great connectivity.
Cons: Picture viewing slow via USB.
Summary: Out of all the plasmas I looked at, this is the best, hands down :
1- Design: monolithic solid black with beautiful glossy finish
2- Picture: very accurate colors, with plenty ...Summary: Out of all the plasmas I looked at, this is the best, hands down :
1- Design: monolithic solid black with beautiful glossy finish
2- Picture: very accurate colors, with plenty of adjustment options
3- DVD Playback: the best I have seen
Note: Make sure the store you buy this from is an authorized Pioneer Reseller.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Outstanding Performance
by Beaminator on September 24, 2006
Pros: Beautiful black and vibrant color
Cons: Price Price Price
Summary: I got this TV for my media room and had to decide on a larger TV for a cheaper price or this tv for a premiun with quality. I took ...
Summary: I got this TV for my media room and had to decide on a larger TV for a cheaper price or this tv for a premiun with quality. I took the pioneer and havent looked back. The picture is amazing and the black level is perfect. I have a 1080p LCD before this which you can tell the resoluion diffectece to the plasma but the color and black level make it amazingly better. It wall mounts like a dream and taking the speakers off the bottom give it the black "monolith" appearance mentioned in a prior version's cnet review. Spectacular presentation! Everyone's eye pop when the turn the corner and see it.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
- Part number: PDP-5070HD
- Description: Pioneer is a world leader in the consumer electronics industry and digital entertainment products. The confidence to innovate. The skill to harness the limitless possibilities of cutting-edge technology. The commitment to enhance the lives of its customers throughout the world. These are the qualities that have put Pioneer at the forefront of new product development. PRODUCT FEATURES: High Definition Resolution (1,365 x 768); 50" Diagonal / 16: 9 Wide-Screen Aspect Ratio; Improved Panel Efficiency; Detachable Bottom Speaker; 1080p/24Hz Compatibility for HDMI and Component.
General
- Product Type 50 in Plasma TV
- Series PureVision
- Video Interface HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite
- PC Interface VGA (HD-15)
- USB Port Yes
- Width 48.2 in
- Depth 4.5 in
- Height 28.3 in
Display
- Diagonal Size 50 in - Widescreen
- Technology Plasma (PDP)
- Resolution 1365 x 768
- Display Format 720p
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
- Progressive Scan Progressive scanning (line doubling)
- Viewing Angle 160 degrees
- Viewing Angle (Vertical) 160 degrees
- V-Chip Control Yes
- Color Temperature Control Yes
- Additional Features JPEG photo playback, Video noise reduction, 3:2 pull down compensation, 3:3 pull down compensation, Color Transient Improvement (CTI), Digital MPEG Noise Reduction Circuit
TV Tuner
- Analog TV Tuner NTSC
- Multi-channel Preview Split screen, Picture-in-picture (PIP)
Video Features
- HDTV Ready Yes
Remote Control
- Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
- Features Glow buttons
Audio System
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Surround Mode Yes
- Sound Effects SRS WOW, SRS Focus, SRS TruBass
- Speakers Included 2 speakers
- Output Power / Total 26 Watt
- Speaker(s) 2 x Right/left channel speaker - Built-in - 13 Watt
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB, 2 x HDMI input, 4 x Composite video/audio input, 3 x Component video input, 2 x S-Video input, 1 x SPDIF output, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x Subwoofer output, 2 x RF input, 1 x VGA input
Miscellaneous
- Antenna None
- Included Accessories Plasma TV stand
Power
- Power Device Power supply - Internal
- Battery None
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
Specs: Plasma TV, 50 in, 1365 x 768, 16:9
-
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
Specs: Plasma TV, 42 in, 1024 x 768, 16:9
-
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
Specs: Plasma TV, 60 in, 1365 x 768, 16:9
Accessories
-
URC Complete Control MX-650 Omega - Universal remote control - infrared/radio (MX-650)$217.99
-
Logitech Harmony 550 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (966208-0215)$93.00 - $129.99
-
Logitech Harmony 720 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (CNETLOGITECHHARMONY720)$99.99 - $149.99
-
Logitech Harmony 670 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (915-000003)$105.74 - $152.49
-
Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (915-000052)$165.56 - $176.96
Manufacturer info
- Pioneer North America
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Pioneer North America products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/
- Address:
2265 E. 220th St.
Long Beach, CA 90810 - Phone: 310/952-2111
